A New Tool in the Fight Against Identity Theft

Identity Theft No Comments

So, by now you’re (hopefully) aware of the threat of identity theft; you’ve taken steps to protect your information; but how do you know if it’s working?  How can you check if someone is still stealing your info? Luckily, there’s a new tool out there designed to help.

My ID Score:

A new tool from ID Analytics Incorporated is now available to the public to determine the risk level of their ID, and for free on top of that. My ID Score allows consumers to run an analytic test to generate a number between 1 and 999 that will tell you your general threat level of identity theft. The tool is based off the same programming ID Analytics used with a variety of companies over the years to determine customer verification, and make assessments of whether to award a credit card, mortgage or loan.

How Does It Work?

Firstly, visit the site, myidscore.com. From there you’ll be asked to enter in your information: name, DOB, address, phone number, and, if you choose, your social security number. The site then compares that information against what it has available, looking for discrepancies in its database of 360 billion identity components and generates a score to gauge your level of risk.  As we said before, the score falls between 1 and 999, with a medium score around 450 and a high score starting at 600.

What Do You Do With It?

Depending on your score, you may have to take some action.  If you’ve got a score on the higher side, it might be time to do some serious inquiring about your identity and alert your problems to your bank. Here’s a more in-depth look at how to remedy your identity theft.

What Does This New Tool Mean?

Well, as the NY Times writes, what it doesn’t mean is that if you find yourself with a low score you’re free or immune to identity theft. My ID score is a great tool for determining possible threats and might not recognize a theft that hasn’t yet put itself into action.  They also don’t want those who find themselves with a lower score to slack off from their security practices. This is not the end-all-be-all solution, it’s simply the next best tool out there for gauging the temperature of your identity risk.